Sparking mechanism for automobiles.



G. s. HILL. SPARKING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES. I 'APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 20, 1905. 920,326,. Patented May 4, 1909.

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wrapar- G. S. HILL. SPARKING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLIGATMFEILED NOV. 20, 1905.

Patented May 4, 1909.

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uNmn) STATES GEORGE 8. NHL, 0b BRADFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, AQSlGNOR TO HILL MOTOR 0]" HA VERHILL, MAS AFHFSET'IS. A CORW RATTON Ol MAINE on P. COMPANY,

SPARKING MECHANISM FOR AUTGMOBIL'LES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May, 1909.

I Application filed November 20, 1905. Serial No. 288,227.

To all IU/IOI/t it may concern:

Be it known that l, (lnonon S. llILL, of Bradford, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sparking Mechanism for Automobilesv of which the following is a specifics-tits This invention relates to sparking mech anism designed particularly for combustionengines of the four-cycle type.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved spark-timing cam designed to produce a longer contact of the sparking devices-when running at high speed so as to properly charge the coil to produce what is termed a fat spark.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for preventing back fire at such times as when starting the motor.

To these ends the inventionconsists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed. Y

Of the accom anying drawings,l igure 1 i a lan view o the sparking mechanism of a com ustion engine embodying my present improvements, a ortion of the casing being broken out on so stantially the line 11 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a detail section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sec tion on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate the some or similar parts in all the views.

'lhe crank-casing is indicated at 10, said casing havirn an upper portion 11 in which the counter-shaft and the cams hereinafter referred to are mounted. The crank-shaft l2, pitman 13; counter or cam-shaft 14, and the gear 15 of the cam-shaft 14 are represented as of a form that is suflieiently well known to not need detail description. Fixed upon the cam-shaft 14 is a cam 16 which actuates the rod 17 mounted in bearing 18, said rod having a roller 19 bearing on the cam 16. The outer end of the rod 17 actuatcs a suitable valve-stem, one'end of which is indicated at 20 in Fig.

21 indicates the c linde-rs.

The parts so far r ascribed form no art of my present invention and need not e described further than to say that the same shaft 14 which carries the valve-actuating cam 16 also actuates the spark-timing cams l 22, thus providing a simple and reliable construction.

The hub or sleeve 23 of the spark-timing cams 22 is splined on the shaft 14 and is provided with collars 24 between which is fitted a yoke or ring 25 carried at the end of an arm 26, said arm projecting from a sliding rod 27 which is operated by any referred form of controller (not shown). 1 s the rod 27 is shifted toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 1, the hub 23 of the cams and said cams carried thereby are also movedtoward the right so as to advance the timing of the sparking mechanism, through the rods and contacts hereinafter described.

Mounted to slide longitudinally in bearings 28 carried by the casing are contact-actuating plungers or rods 29. Each rod 29 is formed at its outer end with a collar or head 30 which bears against a spring 31 having a contact 32 at its free end and secured at the other end by a bindin post 33. A fixed contact 34 (which may be adjustable in the usual manner of a screw-contact), is mounted opposite the contact 32, the construction being such that the circuit will be simultaneously completed through the two pair of contacts 32 and 34, when the rods 29 are actuated by the spiral cams 22. Bycomparing Figs. 3 and 4 with the other fi ures of the drawing it will be seen that each spiral cam 22 is tapered in width so that when" the hub or sleeve bearing said cams is shifted toward the right from the osition shown in Fig. 1, the contacts 32 and 34 will remain longer in touch with each other so as to permit the as sage of the current for a sufficient lengt or" time to full charge the usual coil to enable rolper spar to be obtained when running at iigr speeds. The cam-sleeve rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 and one s de of each spiral rib forming a cam 22 is inclined so as to properly ride over and thrust outward the contact-actuating plunger or red on each side. Thecooposite slde of each rib is abrupt, substantialry asv shown in 2, so as to ermit of a quick return of the rod 29 under t e influence of the spring 31.

In order to avoid the back fire that would result if the shaft 14 and cam hub should momentarily mm in the reverse direction, I construetthe contactnctueting )llll'i gers or rods so that they will not be t rust outward by the cams it the shaft should go.

tate in the wrong direction. The means which I have illustrated for attaining this re sult comprise a hinged or jointed inner end portion of each rod 29, said inner end portion beingpivoted to the rod 29 at 36 and formed with an inclined rear end 37 which is adapted to abut against a similarly formed shoulder of the rod 29.

35 with a bracket arm 41) connected with the rod 29, the tension of said spring being suiiicient to hold the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, when the inclined shoulder 37 of the pivoted ends or tips oi the rods 29 are in conthe tip 35 by a cam will have no el'l'ect upon direction on its pivot 36'.

' side of either cam 22 should strike the slde oi the rod 29 other than to thrust said rod outward, because the tip 35 can, rock in but one But 11' the abrupt a tip 35, said tip will rock on its pivot 36, the spring 39 yielding to permit this movement. The rod 29, however, will not be moved outward and no circuit-making contact will occur, and conseqm-mtly there will be no "back fire. lhe moment that a cam moving in the direction ust described has passed the end 35, the spring 39 will restore it to normal position. a j Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. Asparking mechanism for combustionengines, comprising a shaft, a hub or sleeve splined thereon and having two tapering spiral cams thereon each having an inclined slde and an abrupt side, means for shifting said sleeve on the shaft in the direction of the axis of rotation of the shaft, spring contacts, rods mounted to reciprocate radially to said hub or sleeve and having their inner ends in engagement with the cams for simultaneous A spring 39 connects a in 38 )1'0 ectm from the )ivoted end )1ece actuation by said cams, and having their outer ends adapted to actuate said contacts, a cam fixed to said shaft adjacent one end of the sleeve, and a valve-controlling rod actuated by the last mentioned cam.

2. A sparking mechanism for combustionengines, comprising a shaft, a rotary hub splined on said shaft and having two spiral tapering cams each having an inclined side and an abrupt side, plungers or rods mounted to reciprocate radially to said hub and having tips pivoted to their inner ends and adapted to be engaged by said cams for simultaneous actuation by said cams, means for holding said tips normally in alinement with the rods but permitting said tips to yield laterally, contacts actuated by said rods, a cam fixed to said-shaft adjacent one end of the sleeve, and a valve-controlling rod actuated by the last mentioned cam.

3. A sparking mechanism for combustion engines, comprising a shaft, a rotary hub splined on said shaft and having two spiral tapering cams each having an inclined side and an abrupt side, contact actuating plungers or rods mounted to reciprocate radially to said hub and having tips adapted to be engagcd by said cams for simultaneous actuation by said cams, said tips being pivoted to the inner ends of the rods and having in clined rear ends, said rods having stop-shoulders to be engaged by said inclined rear ends of the ti s, springs for normally holding the tips in a inenient with the rods, a cam fixed to said shaft-adjacent one end of the sleeve, and a valve-controlling rod actuated by the last mentioned cam.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. HILL.

\Vitnesses: l

M. B. MAY, 0. C. STEonEn. 

